Rotary steam-engine.



` 4 I -Patentedspt.`|6, i902.

J. WfK. HUDGE, BDTABY STEAM'ENGINE.:

appnction alga my 2o, 1901.; y 4 Shees-Sfeet l.

j No. 709,323.

(no Model.)

3 n va. l 1 for @lbtozmw a@ @g/m JohnWKHodge ull ll Il Il Il Il Il Il Il 1| u l1 ll Il u ll Luo. 709,323; .Patented sept. la, 1902.

JJ. W. K. HUDGE. RUTABY STEAM ENGINE.

(Application md .my 2o, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

@u l'oz W John VLKHofdge` lo. 709,323. Patented Sept. 'I6/|9021. J.l W. K. HODGE.

' RUTABY vST1-:Am ENGINE.

` (Application filed July 20, 1901.1

` `(No Mdel.)

4 Sheets-sheet 3.

John Wh. Ho ge.

Stmneg @Vitnzoou No. 709,323. Patented sept. is, |902.

` i J. w, K. Holme.

RTABY STEAM ENGINE.

(Appucaeionmea .my 2o, 1901.) (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

/Jb/m WK with ses UNITED STATES g' 4PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN W. K. I-IODGE, OF BLAIR STATION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO EWALI) E. BAHR, OF BLAIR STATION, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

SPEGIFICATIONformngpart of Letters Patent No. 709,323, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed July 20, 1901. Serial No. 69,132. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. K. I-IODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at and whose post-oflce address is Blair Station, in

thecounty of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in RotaryV Steam Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary steam-enp ro gines; and its primary object is to provide an improved construction of engine whereby the complete expansive force of the steam will be utilized. i

A further object of the invention is to obtain a uniform pressure and a correspondingly uniform development of power at every point in each revolution, thereby avoiding the employment of a heavy balance-wheel to supply momentum while passing centers. l

A further object of the invention is to employ a plurality of pistons, preferably eight, in series'in independent cylinders and relatively arranged at equal angles to one another, preferably forty-five degrees, thereby maintaining a maximum mean eective pressure with the minimum expansion.

A further object ot the invention is to provide improved means for operating the inlet and cut-.oft valves, whereby the same mech- 3o anism which controls the cut-olf valves will serve to control the supply of stearnto the several cylinders.

With the above and such other objects as may be disclosed in the following description the invention consists in the improved construction of rotary engine hereinafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication, the novel and characteristic features 4o of which will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a rotary engine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. f' 4 isia perspective view of a sectionot one of thegcylinders. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the piston disks and its pistou mounted upon the engine-shaft. Fig. 6 is a 5o perspective view of the cam-shaft and its cams for operating the abutments and the inlet-valves of the engine. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section through one of the cylinders, showing in dotted lines the relative arrangement of the several pistons.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Figs. l and 2, the numeral 1 designates a rigid framehwhich may be of any suitable construction, to support the series of cylinders 2, and said frame is provided with bearings, as 3, for the rotary shaft 4, upon which is fixed a suitable band-pulley 5 or equivalent power-transmitting element. i

As shown in Fig. l, the several cylinders are arranged side by side in parallel relation and firmly bolted together to constitute substantially a single structure.

In the carrying out of my invention I employ eight of these cylinders, as that number permits of the employment of eight pistons disposed at an angle of forty ve degrees apart, which I have found the most effective number and arrangement of `pistons for the purpose in view; butl I would have it understood that a greater or less number of cylinders and pistons might be employed without departing from the invention.

As each of the cylinders and the operative mechanism associated and combined therewith are of the same construction a description of one will suffice for all.

Each cylinder consists of a hollow ring made of sections, such as shown in Fig. 4, continuons parallel iianges 6 being provided for connecting the several rings together.

A continuous slot '7 is formed in the inner surface of the ring, communicating with the circular interior 8 of the ring and adapted to receive a piston-disk 9, which iits revolubly between the walls of the slot 7, the latter being suitably packed to insure steam-tight joints.

Upon the disk 9 is secured a circular piston 10, projecting from one side of the disk and adapted to iit the circular space within the ring. i

As illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 7, the eight pistons employed are so arranged within the cylinders as to be at an equal distance (forty-five degrees of a circle) apart radially.

Projecting at a radial angle from the face IOO Vof each cylinder orring adjacent tothe bottom thereof is an abutmenbcasing-and guide 11, communicating with the interior of the cylinder by a slot 12 and adapted to receive and guide a sliding abutment 13, arranged to close the steam-passage 8 in the cylinder. The abutment is provided with a stem 14, which is pivotally connected by a link 15 to the outer endof a lever 16, fulcrumed on a' shaft 17, supported by the frame, the other end of the lever being 16 being arranged in the path of one of the cam-arms 35. The lever 16 is pivotally connected at a point below its fulcrum to the upper end of a rod 18 of a dash-pot 19.

Inv front of the slot 12 of the cylinder through which the sliding abutment 1l works is a steam-inlet 20, extending through the abutmentcasing and communicating by means of a pipe 21 with a steam-supply pipe 22. There is a separate steam-supply pipe 22 for each ring or cylinder, said pipes con necting with a main-supply pipe 22a.

The end of the supply-pipe 22 communicates with a valve-casing 23, within which reciprocates a valve 24 for controlling the supply of steam to the cylinder, and having a suitable valve-stem 25, pivotally secured to one end of Ya rocker-bar 26, pivotally secured' upon a shaft 27 and adapted to be raised by the means hereinafter referred to and to fall by gravity.

28 designates the exhaust-port of the cylinder, communicating by means of a pipe 29 with a condenser 30, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and constitutes no part of the presentinvention. I, however, preferably employ the form of condenser which comprises a coil of pipe for cold water, with means, as shown at 3l, for forcing the water of condensation back to the boiler.

Below the series of cylinders is located a cam-shaft 32, supported in suitable bearings and connected by a sprocket-chain 33 and sprocket-wheel 34 or equivalent means to the engine-shaft 4.

Projecting from the shaft 32 are a plurality of arms or cams 35, arranged radially at angles of forty-five degrees to one another, so as to successively operate the several levers 16 and 26. Y

The operation of the engine constructed as above described is as follows: Steam is admitted to the first cylinder of the series and after its piston has been driven a distance equal to one-eighth of a revolution steam enters the second cylinder, and so on, the eight pistons receiving the impact of steam successively at each eighth of a full revolution. The relative arrangement of the pistons is an essential characteristic of the invention and serves two important purposesto wit, by admitting a fresh supply of steam eight times during a single revolution it Vbrings the average mean effective pres sure up to the maximum, and, secondly, after thesteam enters behind veach piston itmay expand Yfrom thirty-two tov ninety-six timesl its bulk or vdown to a minimum pressure before exhausting into the` condenser.

The camshaft-32 and its series of operatek Atons,.and the dash-pots 19return the abutments to their inner positions.

The arms or cams 35 are of suflicientwidth to elevate the levers 26 as well as the levers 16, (said levers being in different vertical planes,) and are so disposed with relation to said levers as to operate the two levers 26 and 16 alternately to admit steam and move the abutment 13 inward and cut o steam when the sliding-abutment is moved outward into the casing 11.

I reserve the right to make all such changes and modifications in the details of the engine as maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or may fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claimv 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a hollow ring having a continuons slot in its inner surface communicatingpwith the interior of the ring; of a disk revolubly mounted in the ring and extending into the'slot, a pis ton projecting from the disk and fitting the interior of the ring, an abutment-casing projecting from the ring, a sliding abutment in said casing, a steam-inlet to the ring, a valve thereto, levers connected to the valve and abutment respectively, a rotary shaft, and a projection thereon adapted t'o operate the levers of the valve and abutment successively.

2. In a rotaryengine, a series of'slotted hollow rings, each containing a revoluble disk, pistons upon the disks and tted in their re-l IOO ring, a valve to regulate the flow of steam IIO through the inlets, a sliding abutment in each ring, a revoluble shaft, and a projecting arm thereon for each ring, each arm being adapted to successively operate the abutment and the inlet-valve of its ring.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a slotted hollow ring; of a shaf t, a disk mounted thereon and revoluble in the slot, a piston upon the disk and mounted in the ring, an inlet-valve andsliding abutment in the ring, a pivoted lever pivoted at one end to the abutment, a pivoted lever pivoted at one end to the inlet-valve, a revoluble shaft driven from the shaft of the disk, and an arm extending therefrom and adapted to successively contact with, and operate, the levers of the abutfment and the inlet-valve.

\ ,ofA each ring,jasteamin1et pipe opening into to each other, each arm being adapted to sue- Io p 1the ring, a valve to controlthe entrance of `eessively operate the abutment and the infsteamthrough ,the pipe, a `sliding abutment let-valve of its ring.

"ineaoh ring, apiston upon each disk, said` Intest'imony whereof I aixmy signature i `pistons being adapted to work `inthe rings, a p in presence of Jnwo Witnesses.

pivotedlever connected to the inletfvalve, a JOHN W. K. HODGE.

p ysimilar lever pivoted to the sliding abutment, p ashafb driven from the piston-shaft', andra- Witnesses:

J AMES B. LEWIS, i DAVID S. BRADSHAW.

dially-disposedarrns thereon at equaiangles 

